Life-preserver.



. IVI. BARON.

LIFE PRESERVER.

APPUCATION FILED 1`uLY 9. 1917.

tgmg Patented Jan. 8, 1918.

nin sans narnia ,nm

MIcHAnLxBARoN, or NEWARKNEW JERSEY.

LIFE-Pansnavna.

Specification of lettersiatent. V- Patented Jari. 6,1918.

v e 'Application fnd :any 9, 1917. serial No. 179,371.

1bn/ZZ whom t may concern.' e

lie it known that I, lMICHAnL BARON, a citiaen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essenr and State of New, Jersey'hafve invented certain new Aand useful' lnnnzovements in IlifePreservers, of which the following is a specilisation.` This invention relates to certain new Aand useful improvements in life preservers. e

, The priinaryiobject of the invention to provide a life preserver that may be liuicklv and easily attached toa person for use, adjusted to conform to the body of the wearer, and then securely fastened in the adjusted position. y l

A further `object of my invention is to provide a life preserver "with adjustable air-bags so' attached tof their vcarrying-membertliat when inflated, a binding frictional engagement is afforded between the bagor bags and their carrying-member, holding them normally against free-movement on the carrying-member, yet peri'nitting a slidi'ngv adjustment onthe Carrying-member to position ,the bags as desired. i y

, Another ob]` ect of thepresent invention is to provide, in a life preserver an extremely durable air-bag, unpnncturable under all ordinary conditions and service, andreadily capable of inflation. V y, e y e L lith the above objectsandfothers in view, as will appear hereinafter asthe `invention is more fully described, in" detail, the invenw tion resides in the `novel construction, combination, and arrangement ofparts as will be more fully described, and then claimed, and in describing the invention in detail, reference is had tothel accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, illustrating a preferred and practical ein? bodiment of the invention, and in which like numerals will indicate like parts throughout the different views, in which Figure 1 is a view in perspective showing a life preserver in accordance with my invention, attached in position upon the body of a person in use,

Fig. 2 is a detail plan view of a life preserver in accordance with my invention,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged View in plan or elevation of one of the air-bags also showing a portion of the securing belt or strap, and one of the tie-straps, the air-bag being shown in the inflated condition, and

F ig. 4 is a similar view of one of the airbags, partially in longitudinal section.

`to open, and inthe To put my inventioninto practice, provide afseeuring belt or strap 10 of "a suitable length to encircle 'the body of a' person around the waist, the ends being adapted to have fastening means of any desired characterl so that the belt or strap may be secured firmly to the person. v

On this securing belt or strap I mount a plurality of inflatable air-bags of a specific construction will be described' inv det-ail. As shown herein, three of these air-bags are carried on the'belt or strap,l and tests of the" device have demonstrated ,that this will be the preferred construction of the def` vice. as such an arrangement provides fol' the positioning of an air-bag at the back of the persomand one at each side, toward the front,y such an arrangement having been found `to provide at construction which en ablespthe 4wearer to maintain an upright positionin the ywaterpractically without effort. I donot wish however, to be understood by this showing and description to limit myself to this number of air-bags, as ("rbviously'a greaterorless number may be employedi without departing from the `principle herein involved. y e 4 The air bags are designated generally by the numeral 11, and are preferably oblong in form. Each bag consists of the sack 12 ,composed of `rubber or other inflatable ma terialimpervious to air, and which is in tla'ted'by meanssuch asuthe valve 1st illustrated. Prefe ably`,`I employ a type of balloon-valve, (well known in the trade) `which can4 be opened and closed by the operator, by a turning of the same; in one direction opposite direction to close.,A

`The inflatable sack 12, is covered by a protective layer of canvas, leather, or other pliable material 12 to protect the saine against accidental puncture, this protective sheath being of good strong material which will withstand the strains to which same is subjected.

To this covering material is firmly attached, by stitching, or otherwise, the two stra-ps 15 and 16, the strap 15 being of a length which will pass around the air-bag transversely thereof and at an acute angle. while the strap 16 is of shorter length, and has its ends meeting with the strap 15. This arrangement brings the middle portion of the straps on one side of the airbag spaced away from the central transverse line as clearly seen in Figs. 3 and 4, Yand at these two points, the straps are unattached to the protective covering to provide keepers 17 for the belt 10. As here shown, each strap is formed in two pieces and the ends-oven lapped and left unattached to form the kGPers-,being stitched to the covering Von each side of the keeper. This is done to provide double ply of material for the keepers, the point where the greatest strain is delivered. Due to this construction, when the air-bag or bags are inflated, a binding action is provided between the air-bags and the straps so that the air-bags are held normally fixed in the positions in which they have been placed upon the belt, but may be readily shifted by the wearer by force against either lend of the bags, so as to posin tion them as desired with respect to the body. Y

After the bags have been desirably positioned, the two front bags are preferably y. tiedtogether by tie-strings 18 as shown in Iig. l, which are preferably attached to one of the straps l5 or 16, herein shown as attached to the straps 16. This tying tends to 'hold the two front bags from any slipping Vaction independently, that'might be caused by bufieting of thewaves. The airbag that rests againstthe back of the wearer is so anchored byits binding action upon the belt as to remain positioned where pressed against the body; 'Y

`I wish to callV particular attention to the securing of the air-bags upon the belt in such manner as to hold them positioned, lyet allow the operator to readily adjust the same to the desired position in order that upright balance of the body may be maintained in the water without eil'ort, and when oncepo-` sitioned, the tying of the two bags together holds them firmly against the body and prevents the same from slipping.

While I have described in detaila preferred embodiment of the invention constructed in accordance with the manner in whichsame has been usedin practice, yet I would have it understood that the construction mayv be. varied in details, without departing from the spirit and scope of the vinvention as claimed.

What I claim as new is :w-

l. A lifepreserver, including an inflatable receptacle, a body attaching belt for said inflatable receptacle, and straps encompassing and secured to said inflatable receptacle, the ends of one strap 'being secured to the other strap, said straps being each in two parts with their ends overlapped, and unattached to the inflatable receptacle at predetermined points to form keepersreceiving said body attaching belt. l L l p v f v 2. A life preserver, including a plurality of inflatable receptaclesfa body7 'attaching belt for said plurality ofinflatablerreceptacles, and straps encompassing and secured to each of? said receptacles, the ends of one strap of each of therlatter being secured to the other strap, said straps being each in two parts, with their ends overlapped, and unattached to the inflatable receptacles at predetermined points to form keepers receiving said body attaching belt.

'3. A life preserve'r, including a plurality of oblong or oval buoyant members having secured transversely therearound looped or keeper-forming members having their loops or keepers adapted to be presented next to the body of the user of the device, and a body encompassing member rove through said loops or keepers inthe direction of the longitudinal plane or aXes of said buoyant members, wherebytheV latter are adapted to be applied for use in such'longitudinal or axial planes transversely to the users body, also positioned at the arm-pits and at the back, providing for the'advantageous distribution ofthe buoyancy with respect to the body.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

MICHAEL BARON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, byadidressingthe Commissioner of Patients,

Washington, D. C. 

